One of the pillars of the Three Lobed Recordings catalog has been some of the incredible new American guitar music being made across this country – everything from work by the late Jack Rose to Lee Ranaldo and Steve Gunn. The Oakland (but formerly North Carolina) guitarist Chuck Johnson developed his main Three Lobed connection through the Chapel Hill, North Carolina band Idyll Swords, when they appeared on an ambitious multi-CD box set, purposeful availment, that was among the label’s first releases. While his latest record, A Struggle Not A Thought, finds Johnson engaging with his thoughtful meditative side with some stunning 12-string guitar compositions, Johnson was a well-known traveler in Chapel Hill’s still-vital 90s-to-early 2000s indie rock scene, playing in the bands Shark Quest and Spatula as well as Idyll Swords. Johnson was the second act of the day at the Three Lobed / WXDU Day Show during the Hopscotch Festival in Raleigh, NC, and provided a rather stark counterpoint to the madness of the Alan Bishop / Bill Orcutt / Chris Corsano trio that preceded him to kick off this incredible show at King’s Barcade. This lovely set of guitar music featured several new songs, as well as “A Slender Thread”, “Dissevered” and the flawless set closer, “The Flying Spire Don’t Have No Mercy” from A Struggle Not A Thought. While Johnson got hit with a few random bursts of the feedback from PA (which we have edited out of this recording), the technical snafu didn’t throw him off his game in what was, for many of us, our first introduction to his live show. I hope to see many more.

I recorded this set with a soundboard feed and Schoeps MK5 microphones in the omnidirectional setting on stage. This particular set leans almost entirely on the soundboard feed, and other than the aforementioned technical issues being edited out, the quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Like more than a few bands from our part of the country, NYC’s Pop. 1280 made the trip down to this year’s Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina to share the tiny stage at Slim’s with some like-minded North Carolina bands as well as some bad-ass New York contemporaries. On a bill that also featured nyctaper favorites White Hills along with Chapel Hill’s Pipe and Raleigh’s Whatever Brains, Pop. 1280 fell more in line stylistically with the two NC bands, combining a heavy, aggressive punk-influenced sound with synth flourishes that helped identify them more with our neck of the woods. This set covered material from the band’s first two previous Sacred Bones Records releases, 2010’s The Grid and 2012’s The Horror. The band expects to have another record under their belt some time in 2013, which it would appear some of the “unknown” songs below may be on.

Like the Whatever Brains and Pipe recordings from this show, this set was recorded by NC taper Dave Schwentker with fellow North Carolinian Bryon’s ceiling-installed Countryman B3 omnidirectional mics. The sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

“There are bands of larger stature that emerged from the Triangle scene, but you’d have trouble finding one more beloved in the area than Pipe. For much of the 90’s, Pipe played their brand of SST-inspired punk throughout the region, threatening to blow away all other bands on the bill. They toured with the likes of Archers of Loaf, New Bomb Turks, and Bad Brains, and released a handful of 7″s and three great albums. Eventually, injuries and line-up changes forced an end to the band before the decade was out. After being essentially dormant for almost 10 years, the band was asked to play Merge XX in 2009 and played to an ecstatic crowd and a maelstrom of beer cans. Since then, the original line-up of the band (Ron Liberti, Mike Kenlan, Dave Alworth, and Chuck Garrison), has slowly lurched toward becoming an active concern and not just a reunion act, playing with increasing frequency, adding new songs to the setlist, and even heading out for a weekend tour to New York and Boston with Archers of Loaf last spring.

When trying to pick bands at a festival as broad and eclectic as Hopscotch, it’s tempting to skip local bands in favor of a bigger name down the street. This Pipe set, in a packed, sweaty, narrow bar, appropriately named Slim’s, shows why skipping the locals can be a mistake.

This set was recorded with Countryman B3 omnidirectional microphones mounted on the ceiling, near the speakers and above the crowd, and it a great representation of what it is was like to be packed near the front of the stage doding drinks, elbows, and guitars. Enjoy!”

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Pipe
2012-09-07
Hopscotch Music Festival
Slim’s
Raleigh, NC USA

Exclusive download hosted at nyctaper.com
Recorded and produced by David Schwentker
Microphones courtesy of Dan Schram

This second day of this year’s Hopscotch Music Festival has to have been one of the best days of music I’ve had all year. Though there were many high points, the main reason was getting the chance to see the Durham, NC recording artist MC Taylor, aka Hiss Golden Messenger, for the first time – and twice in the same day, at that. The first of those was Taylor’s stripped-down acoustic set at the Three Lobed Recordings/WXDU Day Show at King’s Barcade, and it held a singular beauty that was the equal of, but distinct from, the full-band set that HGM played later that night (that recording [HERE]). Taylor began the set with the a cappella “Father Sky”, and it’s a beautiful, brief religious allegory. The next songs were two of my absolute favorites – the band’s most approachable number, “Call Him Daylight” and the new “Red Rose Nantahala”, with its simple refrain of “Oh Lord, let me be happy”. Sung in Taylor’s voice, such a simple line can strike a deep emotional chord; he delivers the line with a canny mix of resignation, pleading, and hope.

Joined at points by Nathan Bowles, Scott Hirsch and Terry Lonergan, who would play in the full band that night, Taylor’s arrangements were much simpler during this day show. Compared to the full band set later that night, this show necessarily placed the emphasis on Taylor’s vocals and, thus, his actual words, and it was absolutely riveting to listen to. Taylor followed “Red Rose Nantahala” with “A Working Man Can’t Make It No Way”, “Bad Debt” from his Bad Debt debut LP, and ended with another stellar country-blues number, “O Little Light”, from his critically acclaimed current album, Poor Moon. He will eventually be putting out a follow-up to Poor Moon that should include “Red Rose Nantahala” as well as “Brother, Do You Know the Road”, which was played at the night set. Until then, settle in with this recording, and let Tyalor bend your ear.

I recorded this set with a soundboard feed provided by the King’s staff combined with Schoeps MK5 mics in the omnidirectional setting split wide onstage. The results are excellent. Enjoy!

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

If you enjoyed this recording, PLEASE SUPPORT Hiss Golden Messenger, like him on Facebook, and purchase Poor Moon on digital or vinyl from Paradise of Bachelors [HERE] and all of his releases on vinyl [HERE].

The young band The Invisible Hand hails from Charlottesville, VA, and with a lead singer named Adam Smith, yes, their name is an econ reference. But other than that, and one song called “Black Tie Formal”, there’s little in the way of college references here, and the band’s sound has more to do with power pop and protopunk than the kinds of jams Charlottesville is normally associated with (I’m looking at you, Dave Matthews). The set opener, “Psychic Cat” was a caffeine jolt to the daytime crowd at this Hopscotch Music Festival day show, and that energy sustained throughout this set that covered much of the band’s forthcoming 12″ EP on Funny/Not Funny Records as well as their self-titled LP on that same label. Smith’s style of performance recalls heyday-era Billie Joe of Green Day, and the band’s high-energy, no-bullshit set made me long for more bands like them. Playing a day show – especially when you’ve just shown up at the venue – can be a challenge, but Invisible Hand showed us they are ready anytime.

I recorded this set with local taper bryonsos’ AKG 460 microphones hung from an optimal spot on the venue ceiling, combined with a soundboard feed customized by the King’s staff. The sound quality is excellent. Enjoy!

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

I saw more incredible solo guitarists during the course of the Hopscotch Music Festival than I’ve seen in the rest of my life combined. Each man’s style left an impression, from the psychedelic leanings of Ben Chasny to the Piedmont blues influences of Chuck Johnson. Of all of these distinct and excellent players, none had a style of purer beauty than Glenn Jones. A devoted fan of John Fahey, arguably the founder of the American Primitivism style of guitar, Jones spent decades playing self-made compositions in his bedroom before finally gaining the courage to begin playing solo shows in public back in the early 2000s. (Jones was no stranger to performing in public generally, though – he has served as guitarist in the Boston-area instrumental band Cul de Sac since 1989.) Today, Jones’ style draws not only from the country and blues that sparked American Primitivism, but also from classical guitar, which often gives his songs a lilting, elegiac quality that sets him apart from his peers.

Raleigh’s Memorial Auditorium might have been a daunting venue for a solo guitarist who used to be afraid of performing in front of crowds; asking Jones to hold the attention of the massive hall completely unaccompanied was no small request. But Jones not only held his own, but shone, giving us an hour of his compositions interspersed with narratives that expanded on the songs’ themes. A good chunk of the set draws from Jones’ latest and best solo record, the 2011 Thrill Jockey release The Wanting. One of the most striking aspects of Jones’ playing, for guitar aficionados, is his abandonment of standard tunings (which he did about 25 years ago, by his count). Jones used a different tuning for every song on The Wanting, and that gives that record – and this set – another distinction.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK41 microphones and a North Carolina-made Naiant tinybox preamp. Recording relatively quiet music in a large hall presents challenges, and in this case, the overall recording level was lower than optimal for most of the set. This means that some hiss from the recorder’s internal components and the house PA can be heard in the recording. However, it remains a worthwhile document of Jones and what he has to offer. Enjoy!

Thanks to Glenn Jones and his management for permitting us to offer this recording here, and to Terry Watts for the clamp space and running my rig.

Stream the entire set:

Please note that at the request of the artist, this set is available for streaming only.

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

The Raleigh, North Carolina band Whatever Brains are such a fine example of sneering garage punk that my buddy Chaz of Durham, NC’s best record store, Bull City Records, was inspired to create his own record label just to put out their first 7-inch. Now two full LPs in after only a year, the band have continued to refine their sound, ditching some of the more “adventurous” elements of their first LP (electronic drums, anyone?) in favor of a more cohesive, direct sound. The results proved all positive at this Hopscotch Music Festival show at the tiny Raleigh dive bar Slim’s, where the Brains gave a 42-minute burner of a set.

As befits the band’s style, this a more-or-less raw recording made by NC taper Dave S from mics installed in the ceiling. While the recording is less polished than much of what we offer on this site, both we and the band agree that this is a capture worth sharing with the wider world. Enjoy!

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

The duo of the guitarist Steve Gunn and drummer John Truscinski, better known as Gunn-Truscinski Duo, was a perfect closer to the Three Lobed Recordings/WXDU Day Show during the Hopscotch Music Festival. The pair epitomizes some of the highlights of the Three Lobed aesthetic – rhythmically complex, guitar-based music with psychedelic overtones that occupies no obvious musical niche, that advances the state of its art while giving a subtle nod to its forebears. With no words sung during their set, it is still easy to locate Gunn-Truscinski as distinctly American; although he melds Eastern elements to his work, Gunn is nonetheless a successor to this country’s folk tradition. What we got at King’s Barcade on this fine Friday afternoon was a short barnstormer of a set consisting of three of the five songs from the duo’s latest release on Three Lobed, Ocean Parkway. Gunn and Truscinski kicked off with perhaps that record’s best song, “Banh Mi Ringtones”, given some extended jamming treatment, followed by “Don’t Lean On Door” and “Ocean Parkway”. For those who would doubt that an instrumental guitar and drum duo can unrepentantly rock, I submit this recording as Exhibit A.

I recorded this set in the same manner as all of the other sets from this show, with Schoeps MK5 microphones onstage in the omnidirectional setting and a soundboard feed provided by the King’s staff. As I was able to get the mics closer to the performers for this set, this is one of the best quality-wise of the day. Enjoy!

Thanks to WXDU, Cory Rayborn and Three Lobed. Also check out our post of Gunn and Truscinski playing as a trio in support of Tom Carter, which is coming soon.

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Matthew E. White has been one of the true musical sensations of 2012 so far. The Richmond, VA native has not only garnered praise from all quarters for his debut album Big Inner, a gumbo of 70s soul, rock, jazz, blues and roots influences (oh, and Randy Newman), but his live shows have already achieved cult status. BigInner, released this year on the Hometapes imprint, is a lush, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink production that pairs White with a choir, strings, keyboards, baritone sax, and more, and White has proven equally willing to go for the big arrangements in the live setting, convenience and good sense be damned.

It is appropriate, then, that as one of the top artists to emerge from the southeastern U.S. this year, White garnered a prime slot at what I would argue has already risen to be the king of southeastern music festivals, the Hopscotch Music Festival. For this very special performance in Raleigh’s Fletcher Opera Theater, White showed up with a 30-person ensemble including many of the very musical ingredients that make Big Inner so special. From the mellow Otis Redding-style groove of “One of These Days” to the psychedelic jams on “Hot Toddies”, this over one hour show (longer than Big Inner‘s 40 minutes by a solid amount) was as varied and remarkable as Big Inner itself. Before wrapping up, White took special time to thank festival co-founder Grayson Currin, who booked this mammoth ensemble long before White became the toast of the blogosphere. As with so many things about this festival, this night with Matthew E. White was something Hopscotch got right.

This recording, by NC taper Larry Tucker, is a matrix mix of a soundboard feed and American-made Peluso microphones. While it suffers from some of the same room acoustics issues as the Lambchop recording, it is quite good. As a bonus, Hometapes and White’s management have also permitted us to release our recording of “Brazos” that nyctaper recorded at Mercury Lounge.

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

Oren Ambarchi was a very special pickup for this year’s Hopscotch Music Festival. The world-renowned electronic guitarist and percussionist not only doesn’t spend a ton of time touring stateside, but is an especially rare sight in North Carolina. A frequent collaborator with the band sunn O))), Ambarchi’s work stretches the limits of music and the guitar as conventionally understood, with stretched-out song structures that are more dissonant soundscapes than proper songs. Coming on at Memorial Auditorium just before sunn O)))’s festival-closing set was an appropriate slot for Ambarchi and a logical move in terms of fan base; most who showed up in the hall knew what to expect (as much as anything that Ambarchi does is “expected”). This 32-minute improvisation is classic Ambarchi, and an excellent introduction to his work for those hearing him for the first time.

I recorded this set with Schoeps MK5 microphones in the cardiod setting from the optimal position in the venue. The sound is excellent. Enjoy!

Stream the entire set:

Please note, at the artist’s request, no downloading of this set is permitted.

Note: All of the material on this site is offered with artist permission, free to fans, at our expense. The only thing we ask is that you download the material directly from this site, rather than re-posting the direct links or the files on other sites without our permission. Please respect our request.

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